Big Al’s BBQ, Raleigh (Wake Forest, NC)

Big Al’s Family-Run BBQ is delicious local NC Eastern Barbecue

5 out of 5 stars

Since transplanting to Raleigh from South Florida seven years ago, I’ve gradually come to know and appreciate good Eastern Carolina barbecue. Everyone has their own preferences, but in order to make me especially happy, my pork has to have noticeable real smoke flavor, tenderness, and very little sauce so I can sauce to my own liking. If I can’t smell and taste that lovely wood smoke, then I come away unhappy.

Big Al’s hits all of the right notes, and in addition they provide a whole bar of different homemade sauces with mysterious names. So it becomes an adventure, trying different sauces from the topping bar with your various meats. And it’s not a bad idea to try more than one meat. We loved the tender ribs, the smoked chicken and the smoked sausage, in addition to the pork. We were also fans of the macaroni and cheese and the nice crispy round hush puppies. I really think you can’t go wrong here, whether for takeout for a crowd or for a nice eat-in counter-service meal.

Big Al’s Pork Plate

Smoked Chicken and Ribs Plate

Smoked Sausage Plate

I first tasted Big Al’s at the food truck when they visited my workplace, and then sought them out again as a nice meeting place for the family when we were in Wake Forest. They’re located off 401 up north by Wake Forest, although the address is technically Raleigh. This year, Big Al’s will also be serving their awesome pork at the State Fair (Oct 16-26th).